writes:Thursday dawned unseasonably chilly for Southern California. But it was clear and without the rain clouds that had been appearing off and on for the past month - also unseasonable. So, it was truly a good day when I found a parking stall real close to Exhibit Halls A & B at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is the venue for So Cal Gen Con.
Actually, the convenient parking wasn't much of a surprise. From my previous experience, I knew Thursday was going to be a slow day at GenCon. Most of the locals (no matter what city) don't feel that they can get away with taking two days off from work. Most will take at least a half day off on Friday. So while attendence picks up on Friday morning, it'll really pick up at about 1 p.m.
The first thing that catches your eye as you enter the hallway is the display commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. Each display column features iconic images from different periods in its history, including the D&D cartoon series, Fineous Fingers, and some of the more memorable artwork from modules.
This year there are some changes, but it mostly appears the same as last year. One of the more visible differences is that the Guests of Honor - such as Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Adam Baldwin (Firefly), Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and a Star Wars two-fer: Ray Park (Darth Maul in Star Wars 1) & Daniel Logan (Boba Fett in Star Wars 2) are in the front of the exhibitor area instead of all the way at the back.